dixon



(No Model.)

R. E. DIXON.

SAFE DEPOSIT- VAULT. No. 329,147. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

ATTORNEYS.

lmmmm n hw. Washington, 0. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUS E. DIXON, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK FOSTER,

OF SAME PLAOE.

SAFE-DEPOSIT VAULT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,147, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed December 30, 1884. Serial No. 151,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Bonus E. DIXON, of the city, county, and State ofNew. York, have invented a new and Improved Safe- Deposit Vault, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a practical safe-deposit vaultfor valuables, and one adapted for bank -buildings, to enable banks tocarry on safe-deposit business in connection with regular bankingbusiness.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my new vault, the inner and outer maindoors being shown open; and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same,taken on the line was of Fig. 1.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings,and then pointed out in the claims.

The casing A is of heavy masonry, by preference circular in form, andprovided with the doorway A and door A Within the casing A is the shell13, made of heavy plates of metal. This shell is also, by preference,circular in form, and provided with the doorway B and door B, thatcoincide with the doorway A of the outer shell, A.

Within the shell B is placed a revolving circular frame, O, that holdsthe safety-deposit boxes or compartments a, which are numbered, andclosed by doors with lock and key, in the ordinary way. The centralcompartments, 1) b, of the frame 0, which compartments are closed by thedoors I) b, constitute the guaranteed compartments of the vault. Anopening or omission of boxes or compartments (1 is left at 0, (shown inFig. 2,) to furnish access to the central guaranteed compartments,b. Theframe C is made to nearly fill the shell B, and it rests upon thecentral point or screw, c,which rests in the socket c, and the frame-isheld centered upon the screw 0 bythe rod (1 at the top of the frame, sothat the frame may be easily revolved for bringing the opening 0, or anyof the boxes or compartments a, to the doorways A B. The rod dis bypreference made of considerable length, and the bottom plate, D, of theframe 0 is provided with the screws E E,

(No model.)

so that in case the block 0' becomes worn, by turning down the screws E,the frame (1 may be elevated to permit access to the block a, to enableit to be removed and a new block put in its place.

The frame 0 might be revolved by hand; but for convenience in revolvingit I prefer to groove the periphery of the bottom plate, D, as shown ate, and employ the belt F, passed around the plate D and the uprightshaft G, so that by turning the shaft G the belt will act to revolve theframe. In this instance I have shown secured upon the shaft G the tableG, which serves as a lever for turning the shaft, and also as a tablefor the attendant of the vault. The shaft is not made fast to the step Gwhich is attached to the floor outside of the vault, near the doorthereof, but is journaled loosely therein, so that when the vault isclosed it may be removed, if desired.

By employing the revolving frame 0, in which the safety boxes orcompartments are formed, all of the boxes may be conveniently got atfrom one side of the vault, and without entering the vault, and all ofthe available space in the vault is utilized for safety-boxes, so thatthe vault may be made small, and yet furnish room for agreat many boxesor compartments a, and the guaranteed compartments 1), being surroundedby the compartments a, are doubly protected against fire and burglars.

The endless chain or belt F may be passed around the shaft G by raisingthe shaft out of its socket, or the ends of the teeth or chain may bedetachably connected for this purpose. There is no positive connectionof the belt or chain F to the shaft G, but there may be, if desired.Pins may be used for this purpose, especially if an endless chain isused. The pins will be driven into the shaftGaround it, and they will beplaced on the same level with the plate D, so as not to cause deflectionof the chain in its passage from the shaft to the periphery of the plateD. If a belt is used, the same will pass around the shaft G about thesame as around ahorizontally-arranged pulley, and the belt will be keptfrom raising or lowering upon the shaft by the two circumferentialflanges y 3/, formed upon or secured to the shaft G, and these flangesare also on the same level with the plate D, so that the belt will run.between the flanges. The two flanges together form a'kind of groove orchannel around the shaft G to receive the belt F, as shown clearly inthe accompanying drawings, to Fig. 1 of which I now refer that a clearunderstanding of this device may be had.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by-Letters Patent, is-

1. The frame 0, having central compartments, 1), surrounded by boxes orouter compartments, a, and having a space, 0, in combination with theshell B and surrounding masonry A, the frame 0 being adapted to be revolved in the shell B, substantially as described.

2. The shell B, provided at the top with the rod d, in combination withthe revolving frame 0, centered in the shell upon a point at the bottom,and held upon said point by the rod 01, that passes through the top ofthe frame 0, the rod (1 being of considerable length to permit the frameG to be elevated, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The shell 13, provided with the rod 01, in combination with the frame0, held upon the centering point or screw 0, and provided with theelevating-screws E, the rod d passing through the top of the frame G,and being of considerable length to permit the frame 0 to be elevated,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The frame 0, held in the vault upon suitable centering-points,andprovided at the bottom with the grooved plate D, in'combination with theendless chain 13, shaft G, and table G, that serves as a lever torevolve the shaft G, for turning the frame 0 in the vault, sub;stantially as described.

RUFUS E. DIXON.

Witnesses:

H. A. WVEsT, O. SEDGWIOK.

